The United States is growing increasingly concerned about the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion into southern Lebanon amid rising tensions with Hezbollah along the border.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Friday, recent explosions of communication devices used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday have heightened fears within the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) of a potential ground war in southern Lebanon.
However, even before these incidents, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concerns to senior Pentagon officials during a meeting on Monday. He indicated that he feared Israel might launch an invasion soon, following months of escalating rocket exchanges with Hezbollah.
A senior U.S. military official told The Wall Street Journal, echoing similar sentiments from colleagues, “I am deeply concerned about this spiraling out of control.”
Recently, the Israeli army transferred thousands of special forces and paratroopers from Gaza to northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October last year, Washington has been worried about the possibility of a broader conflict on Israel’s northern border, potentially involving other regional powers.
Although U.S. officials emphasized they have not yet seen any signs of an imminent invasion, such as a large-scale reserve mobilization, other military officials noted that Israel might order a smaller operation without significant military buildup.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on “X” (formerly Twitter), “We are entering a new phase of the war. We are allocating resources and forces to the northern front. Our mission is clear: to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes, and to achieve that, the security situation must change.”
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday, “There is a way to resolve this crisis through diplomacy, not war.”
When asked about the possibility of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, Kirby added, “Nothing is inevitable.”
